The present invention relates to fishing lures, and in particular to fishing lures having movable weights.
One problem with lures for sport fishing is that different conditions require lures with variable depth running characteristics. In order to adapt to different conditions, the same style of fishing lure may be available as a floating lure, a shallow running lure, a medium depth running lure, or as a sinking, deep running lure. In order to fish under various conditions, the sport fisherman is forced to purchase a wide variety of lures, and may also be forced to frequently change lures while fishing in order to adapt to various conditions.
Although it is possible to attach weights to the fishing line ahead of the lure, this is generally undesirable as it may interfere with the lure action.
One of the more popular styles of fishing lure is one which imitates a bait fish, generally having a long body of a buoyant material such as plastic or wood. This type of fishing lure is generally weighted so that its center of gravity is toward the front end of the lure and is provided with a diving lip at its front end, which provides the lure with its characteristic wobble as it is pulled through the water.
One disadvantage of the bait fish style lure is that it is cast tail-first into the water. This tends to reduce the distance of the cast, and causes the weighted front end to turn around in the air, resulting in increased incidence of line tangling. Furthermore, the forward-facing diving lip may increases wind resistance of the lure, thereby reducing the casting distance.
This problem has been partially overcome by lures with movable internal weight systems which permit the center of gravity of the lure to be shifted from the front toward the back during casting so that the lure will travel through the air tail first and with the diving lip directed away from the direction of the cast. As the lure is pulled through the water, the weights are shifted toward the front of the lure to provide the lure with the desired swimming action. One example of such a lure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,084 (Kitagawa), issued on Nov. 30, 1999.
One problem with lures having internal movable weight systems is that the weights may not be mounted low enough in the lure body to provide the desired swimming action, and therefore these types of lures have an increased tendency to xe2x80x9crollxe2x80x9d in the water. Furthermore, the weights in the Kitagawa lure are enclosed within the lure body, and therefore it is not possible to adjust the weight of the lure.
The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems of the prior art by providing a fishing lure with a movable weight system, in which weights can be removed from or added to the fishing lure in a manner which permits adjustment of the lure""s running depth without adversely impacting the desired swimming action.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a fishing lure, comprising: a lure body having a longitudinal axis, a front end, rear end, upper surface and lower surface; means for attachment of a fishing line provided at the front end of the lure body; one or more fish hooks attached to the lure body; one or more weights mounted along the lower surface of the lure body; a releasable weight mounting means for retaining the one or more weights along the lower surface of the lure body, wherein the one or more weights are movable along the mounting means to shift a center of gravity of the lure body toward the front end or the rear end, and wherein the releasable mounting means is at least partially detachable from the lure body to release the one or more weights from the lower surface of the lure body.